Nail-driving device



Aug. 9, 1960 5. J. COLLUM ETAL NAILDRIVING DEVICE Filed July'28, 1958 /s9 Milli? 20 7 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO'RS SAMUEL J. COLLUM THADDEUS A. SULKOWSKI FIG. 5

ATTORNIEYS 1950 s. J. coLLuM ETAL 2,947,991

NAIL-DRIVING DEVICE Filed July 28, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I07 I08 A 1 lbs 3 85 75 27 FIG. 8

l ifplunmlnllgi l INVENT OR. SAMUEL J. COLLUM THADDEUS A. SULKOWSKI FI 6 M m ATTORNEYS 1960 5. J. COLLUM El'AL 2,947,991

NAIL-DRIVING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 28, 1958 FIG. H 3,0 l OI FIG. l2-

4 INVENTORS SAMUEL J. COLLUM THADDEUS A-SULKOWSKI FIG. 9

ATTORNEYS 1960 s. J. COLLUM EI'AL 2,947,991

NAIL-DRIVING DEVICE 4 SheetS Sheet 4 Filed July 28, 1958 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ INVENTORS SAMUEL a. OOLLUM BYTHADDEUS A. SULKOWSKI ATTORNEYS;

United States Patent Ofifice 2,947,991 Fate-rated Aug. 9, 1360 and Thaddeus A. Sulkowski, 2518 E. Indiana Ave.,

Philadelphia 34, Pa.

Filed July 28, 1958, Ser. No. 751,384

3 Claims. (Cl. 1-46) This invention relates generally to driving or impaling devices, and is especially concerned with such devices as are adapted to drive nails and similar fasteners.

While there have been proposed in the past certain devices attempting to drive nails and the like, such devices have not gained popular acceptance for numerous reasons. By way of example, prior nail-driving devices were relatively complex in construction, subject to frequent malfunctioning, and relatively expensive to repair. Also, prior nail-driving devices were relatively bulky and awkward or inconvenient to handle, being unsuitable for use in many operations, and were usually incapable of handling a wide range of fastener sizes without considerable adjustment and setup time.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a highly improved nail-driver device which overcomes the above-mentioned ditficulties, is extremely simple and durable in construction, entirely reliable in use, and which is easily portable and capable of being advantageously employed in an extremely wide range of situations and operations.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a nail-driving device of the type described which is relatively small and compact in size, light in weight, and which can be economically manufactured, sold, and maintained.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a naildriving device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Figure 1, taken from the other side thereof;

t Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a partial side elevational view showing the area approximately bounded by the line 5 of Figure 2, somewhat enlarged for greater clarity;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the instant naildriver, somewhat enlarged, and partly in section;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view similar to Figure 6, but showing certain elements in greater detail;

Figure 8 is a partial horizontal sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a front elevational view similar to Figure 6, partly in section, and illustrating a difierent position of the nail-driver operation; a a

Figures 10, 11, and 12 are partial horizontal views illustrating successive stages in operation of a nail-transfer mechanism of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a partial sectional view taken substantially along the line 13-13 of Figure 6;

Figure 14 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 14-14 of Figure 6;

Figure 15 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 15-15 of Figure 9; and

Figure 16 is a partial sectional view taken substantially along the line 16-16 of Figure 14.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figures 1-4 thereof, the nail driver there illustrated includes an upstanding operating head or driver mechanism, generally designated 20, and a nail-carrying track or magazine, generally designated 21, extending rearward from the operating head.

The operating head 20, as may be observed in Figures 6, 9, 14, and 15, includes a generally horizontal base plate 25 having its forward side centrally cut away, as at 26 in Figure 15. On opposite sides of the cutout 26 are fixed a pair of upstanding, hollow standards 27. A generally horizontal top plate 28 extends between and is fixedly secured to the upper ends of the standards 27. Spaced intermediate the bottom and top plates 25 and 2S, and extending rigidly between and secured to the standards 27, is an intermediate, horizontal plate 29. A generally vertical plate or wall 30 is located between the bottom and intermediate plates 25 and 29, having its lower and upper edges respectively secured to said plates, and extends between the standards 27 preferably spaced rearward or behind the latter. The wall 30 is formed with a generally vertical slot 31, seen in dashed outline in Figure 9, located generally centrally between the standards 27, and extending vertically from the inter mediate plate 29 to its lower end adjacent to and spaced above the bottom plate 25.

The track 21 includes a pair of vertically spaced, longitudinally extending, upperand lower-track elements, respectively designated 35 and 36, the upper element being of an open-ended, generally tubular construction, having its underside formed with a longitudinal, coextensive, open-ended slot 37. The forward end portion of the upper-track runner or tube 35, as at 38, is fixedly secured to the underside of intermediate operating-head plate 29, and extends through and slightly beyond the wall 30, having its nether slot 37 opening into the wall slot 31. ment 35 is flared'to facilitate the insertion therein of nailheads, as will appear presently.

The lower track part 36 may consist of a pair of Iongitudinally extending, parallel spaced elongate members or bars 40 disposed longitudinally of and beneath the upper-track element 35, with the space 41 between the bars disposed longitudinally of and directly beneath the slot 37 of the upper-track element. The bars 40 may be located in generally coplanar spaced relation, extending beneath and parallel to the upper-track element 35, having their forward ends fixedly secured to the wall 30 on opposite sides of the slot 31, and having their rearward end portions inclined obliquely upward, as at 42, for fixed securement to the rearward region of the uppertrack element 35 on opposite sides of the slot 37. Thus, a plurality of nails, as at 45 in Figure 3, are engageable in the upperand lower-track elements 35 and 36 with their heads received in the upper-track element and their shanks depending generally vertically through the slots 37 and 41. In this condition, a plurality of nails in sideby-side relation may pass forward into the rearward end of track 21 and out of the track at its forward end through the front wall slot '31.

In the illustrated conditions of Figures 1 and 2, with The reaward end portion 39 of the track elethe device supported on an approximately horizontal surface, the track 21 is slightly declined forwardly, and provided at spaced locations therealong with a pair of U- shaped pedestals or supports 47 and The pedestals 4'7 and 48 are respectively located at intermediate and rearward regions of the track 21 for engagement with the supporting or work surface, as is the underside of bottom plate 25, so that the entire device is stably supported in the conditions of figures l and 2. As seen in Figures 4 and 3, the supports 47 and 48 are of U-shaped configuration, depending from the underside of the bars 40, each having the upper ends of its legs fixedly secured to a respective bar, thereby leaving the slot 41 between the bars unobstructed for free movement therealong of the nails 45 while rigidifying the desired spaced relationship of the bars.

Extending rearward from the top plate 28 may be a bar 50 carrying a handle 51. The handle 51 serves advantageously both during operation of the device, and in manually transporting the device from one location to another.

Located in front of the plate 39 in substantial alignment with the slot 51, is a nail guide or chuck 55. The chuck or guide 55 is of elongate, generally vertical disposition, and fabricated of a pair of complementary, hollow sections 56 facing toward each other directly in front of the slot 31 and pivotally connected at their upper ends, as by hinges 57, to the underside of intermediate plate 29. The hollow guide sections 56 are therefore swingable between their closed generally vertical position of Figures 6 and 7, and their open position away from each other, of Figure 9. A coil tension spring 53 has its opposite ends connected to respective brackets 59 on the outer sides of the guide sections 56 to resiliently urge the guide sections toward each other, the condition of Figure 7. Swinging movement of the guide sections 56 toward each other beyond their vertical disposition of Figures 6 and 7 is limited by engagement of the sections with each other, and by fixed abutment means to be described hereinafter.

The rearward sides of the guide sections 56 are cut away, as at 60, which cutouts are adjacent to and face :toward each other so as to define a vertically elongate opening in the rear side of the closed guide sections 56. The opening 61 thus defined by the cutouts 66 is in substantial registry with and spaced forward from the slots 31 of vertical wall 30. Thus, nails 45 passing to the forward end of track 21 are in alignment with the rear side opening 61 of the guide 55; and, the opening is configured to receive the nails. A pair of rigid, facing members 65 project forward from the vertical plate 30 on opposite sides of the slot 31, and define an extension of the track 21 forward of the plate 30, as will appear more fully hereinafter. On the rearward sides of the guide sections 56 are provided a pair of rearwardly extending tabs or stop elements 66 respectively engageable with the track extension pieces 65 to positively limit swinging movement of the guide sections toward each other.

The upper end of the nail guide 55 is open, and a nail driver or plunger rod 69 is arranged above and in end-tend relation with the nail guide, being vertically reciprocably mounted in the intermediate plate 29, and upper plate 28 for extension or depression from its upper position of Figure 6 extending downward through and beyond the lower end of the guide. In the latter condition, it is seen that the driver rod or plunger 69 effects opening or spreading apart of the lower portions of the guide sections 56 against the force of tension spring 58. More specifically, the driver rod 69 is slidably received in holes of the intermediate and upper head plates 29 and 28, having an upper end enlargement or head 70 upward beyond the upper plate, and there being provided on the upper side of the upper plate a resiliently yieldable shock absorber or cushion 71 circumposed about the driver 69 for yieldably limiting abutment with the driver head 70.

A s 9 he. r er 69 e e n the plates 28 and 29, and has its opposite ends slidably received in respective standards 27. Interposed in each of the hollow standards 27, between a lower end closure 76 and the received end of cross arm 75, is a coil compression spring 77. Thus, by the springs 77 acting on the arm 75, the driver rod 69 is resiliently urged toward an extreme upward position with the lower end of the driver withdrawn upward from the guide 55 sufliciently to permit the sidewise passage of a nail 45 through the guide opening 61 into position within the guide beneath the lower end of the driver. The cross arm 55 may abut the top plate 28 to define this upward limiting position of the driver.

In order to insure the proper location of a nail in the guide 55 for each driving or downstroke of the driver 69, and to obviate the possibility of jamming, as by the attempted introduction of more than'a single nail into the guide, there is provided a transfer mechanism, generally designated 86, by which the nails are individually or singly transferred from the forward end of track 21 into the guide 55, all in the proper timed relation so as not to interfere with driving operation of the driver 69. The transfer mechanism 50 includes a pair of arms 81 and 82 on opposite sides of the guide 55, forward of the wall 3! each having its lower end pivoted to the base plate 25, as at 83 and 84, and extending upward therefrom for rotation in a generally vertical plane parallel to the wall 30. The upper end of the swingable arm 81 is slidably received in a slot 85 of the intermediate plate 29, while the arm 82 extends upward, slidably through a slot 86 in the intermediate plate and considerably therebeyond terminating proximate to but short of the top plate 28. Extending between the arms 81 and 32, closely through the space between the guide 55 and Wall 30, is a generally U-shaped transfer element 87. T he U-shaped transfer element 87 has a pair of laterally outstanding lugs 88 and 89 adjacent to the upper or free ends of its legs, respectively pivoted at 90 and 91 to the arms 81 and 82 adjacent to and beneath the intermediate plate 29. An additional pair of outstanding lugs 92 and 93 project from intermediate regions of the respective legs of the transfer element. Thus, the transfer element 87 is shift: able from side to side, as seen in Figures 6 and 9, upon swinging movement of the arms 31 and 82; and, it will be noted that the lower or bight portion of the U -shaped transfer element is below or adjacent to the lower end of slot 31 to permit the passage therethrough of a nail.

As best seen in Figures 6 and 9, the track extension elements 65 project forward from the wall 30 through the central opening of the U-shaped transfer element 89 at a location intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof. Extending laterally inward from one leg of the U-. shaped element 87, at vertically spaced locations thereof, the right-hand leg as seen in 'Figure 6, are a pair of upper and lower nail-guiding elements 96 and 97. Each of these nail-guiding elements extends laterally inward from the right leg of the U-shaped member 87, and has its free end extending obliquely forward from the plate 30, as at 98 in Figures 10l2. The oblique free end portions of the guiding elements 96 and 97 are disposed in front of the slot 31 when the transfer element is in its extreme leftward position of movement, so that a nail urged forward through the slot is restrained against further forward movement by the combined restraining action of the nail-guiding elements and the track extension elements 65, as seen in Figure 10. The nail-guiding elements 96 and 97 are respectively located above and below the fixed track extension elements 65 to avoid any interference therewith.

Projecting laterally inward from the left-hand leg of the U-shaped transfer element 87, as seen in Figure 9, are a pair of: additional vertically spaced nail-guiding elements 99 and 100, adapted to respectively cooperate with the aforementioned nailguiding elements 96 and 97. To wit, the upper nail-guiding element 991's providedwith e Surface 101 spaced from and facing toward the oblique extension 98 of the nail-guiding element 96, the surface 101 extending in the same generally oblique direction from the front surface of wall 30, as the extension 98. Thus, the space between the cooperating guiding elements 99 and 98 defines a generally oblique slot 102. It will be observed that the guiding element 99 is of a greater forward and rearward depth, so as to extend further forward from the wall .30 than the extension 98, and as seen in Figure 15, the guiding element 99 and its oblique surface 101 are adapted to pass closely adjacent to the rear side of the nail guide 55.

The lower left-hand nail-guiding element 100 extends laterally inward from the lefflhand leg of U-shaped transfer element 87 toward the lower nail-guiding element 97. The nail-guiding element 100 is also provided with a generally oblique surface 103 facing toward the oblique free end portion of the lower nail-guiding element 97. The nail-guiding element 100 may project forward from the wall 30 slightly more than the upper nail-guiding element 99, and may have its oblique surface slightly recessed, as at 104.

The entire transfer mechanism 80 is resiliently urged rightward, as seen in Figures 6 and 9, by the coil compression spring 107 anchored, as at 108, to the upper side of the intermediate plate 29, and also anchored to the arm 82 at a location adjacent to and above the intermediate plate. The upper portion of the arm 82, above the intermediate plate 29, is provided with a cam element 109 having a cam edge 110 engageable with a cam-driving surface 111 carried by the cross arm 75. By this means, the transfer mechanism 80 is shifted rightward by downward or driving motion of the driver 69, the cam edge 110 being driven by the cross-arm surface 111; and, upon release of the downward driving force on the driver 69, the spring 107, through the cam edge 110 and cross-arm surface 111, eflfects return of the transfer mechanism 80 and upward shifting movement of the driver 69, from the position of Figure 9 to that of Figure 6.

In order to feed all of the nails 45 in the track 21 toward the head 20, which is referred hereinafter as coarse feeding, a pusher element 115 is disposed on the underside. of the top-track runner or rail 35, having a hook 116, seefFigures 1, 14, and 16, engageable upward into the slot 37 about the head of the rearmost nail. In this manner, the feeding element 115 is removably retained on the rearmost nail. A forward extension or arm 117 is provided on one side of the feeder 115, extending alongside of nails in the upper-track element 35. A tackle-and-pulley construction 118 is connected to the arm 117, extending therefrom to a drum 119 on the underside of the intermediate plate 29, rearward of the wall 30, and thence rearward to a block 120, see Figure l. The latter block is resiliently connected, as by a tension spring 121, to a rearward region 42 of one lower-track bar 40. The force of tension spring 121 is thus applied through the feeder element 115 to the rearmost nail 45 in the track 21, throughout its movement along the entire track; and of course, this force is transmitted to all nails forward of the rearmost nail.

In addition, a fine-feeding construction 125 is located on the opposite side of the track 21, adjacent to the head 20, to insure nonjamming feed of nails to the transfer mechanism 80. The feeding mechanism 125, hereinafter termed the fine-feeding mechanism, includes a pedestal 126 upstanding from one lower-track bar 40, and an additional pedestal 127 carried on the rearward side of the wall 30, directly forward of the pedestal 126. A slide 128 has opposite end portions slidably received in the pedestals 126 and 127, respectively, for sliding movement longitudinally of the track, and an upstanding pin or pivot 129 projects from the slide 128 into a fixed guideway 130 for sliding movement therealong longitudinally of the track. A finger 131 extends transversely through the slide 128, and is pivotally mounted on the vertically disposed pin 129. The laterally' inner end portion of the finger 131, as at 132, see Figures 14 and 15, extends inward toward the nails 45 in the track 21, and is swingable about the pivot 129 into and out of engagement with the nails. A tension spring 133 has its opposite ends connected to the outer end of the finger or lever 131, and the wall 30, so as to resiliently bias the slide 128 longitudinally forward, and toresiliently urge the finger end portion 132 toward the path of nails in the track. An arm 134 is mounted on a generally vertically disposed pivot 135 carried by the, intermediate ,plate 29 for swinging movement into and out of engagement with the pin 129 to urge the slide 128 rearward against the force of spring 133 and release the slide for forward movement under the action of the 7 move the arm 134, and consequently the pin 129 against the force of spring 133. g

In use, the nail feeder or pusher 115 is manually removed from the upper-track element 35, and the nails 45 are inserted into the track, with their heads in the upper track element, and their shanks received in the slot -41 of the lower track element 36. The pusher or feeder 115 is replaced in the upper-track element 35, rearward of and engaging with the rearmost nail to urge all of the nails forward toward the head 20. Simultaneously, the fine-feeder finger 131 engages with an intermediate nail proximate to the head 20 to urge the forwardmost nails into the slot 31 and track extension 65.

Assuming a nail to be located in the guide 55, in the position of Figure 6, a downward or driving stroke of the driver rod 69 effects extension of the nail from the guide and impaling of the nail into a supporting surface. This condition is illustrated in Figure 9, wherein it is seen that the guide sections 56 have been spread apart to permit ejection from the lower guide end of the nail and the lower driver end. During this downward driver stroke the transfer mechanism is shifted leftward, as by the action of cam surface 111 on cam edge 110 of the arm 82. The leftward position of the transfer element 87 is illustrated in Figure 10, wherein the transfer mechanism elements 99 and have passed leftward, just beyond the slot 31 to permit the forwardmost nail to pass through the slot into the track extension 65, being retained therein by the oblique transfer mechanism elements 98 and 92.

Upon upward movement of the driver 69, with the forwardmost nail received in the extension 65, the surfaces 101 and 102 engage behind the forwardmost nail to shift the latter forward in the track extension 65. Successive stages of this operation are illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the latter figure illustrating the forwardmost nail received in driving position in the nail guide 55. The nail driver has, of course, withdrawn from the nail guide sufiiciently to permit reception therein of anail.

At approximately the lowermost position of the driver 69 on its driving stroke, the nails shift forward in the track 21, the forwardmost nail entering into the track extension 65, its displacement therein being assured by the urging actionof the fine-feed finger 131 of the finefeed mechanism 125. Upon upward shifting movement or withdrawal of the driver 69, the forwardmost nail is shifted by the transfer mechanism forward through the track extension 65 and into the nail driving guide 55, of course when the driver has been withdrawn sufficiently to permit reception of a nail in the driving guide. During this upward withdrawal of the driver 69 toward its uppermost position, the swinging arm 82 engages with the crank arm 136 to swing the arm 134 against pin 129 and shift the latter rearward a distance of approximately one nail. Upon this rearward shifting movement of the slide 128 and pin 129, the finger 131 has its engaging end deflected out of the path of nail movement, riding rearward over one nail, as by the yieldability of spring 133, and there again engaging with a nail to resiliently urge the latter forward.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a nail or fastener driving device which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed isz= l. A nail-driving device comprising an upstanding head having its lower end adapted to seat on a surface to be nailed, a pair of hollow elongate generally vertically disposed complementary nail-guide sections disposed in facing relation with each other in a lower region of said head and pivotally connected at their upper ends to said head for resiliently yieldable swinging movement away from each other, said guide sections having their upper ends open and being respectively formed with adjacent vertically extending cutouts combining to define a side opening, a generally vertically disposed plunger mounted in said head over said guide sections for reciprocatory vertical movement downward into said guide sections to swing the latter away from each other and upward to permit return of said guide sections toward each other, said plunger being resiliently biased toward its upward position, a generally horizontally extending track fixed to said head with one end adjacent to and spaced from said side opening and adapted to carry a plurality of nails in side-by-side relation for lateral nail movement along said track toward said one end thereof, a track extension fixed to said head extending between said one track end and said guide sections through the side opening thereof to carry nails from said track into said guide sections, resilient feed means extending removably through said track and having a hooked portion engageable with the head of the rearmost nail to retain said feed means in position extending through said track and for urging nails in said track toward said one track end, a transfer element mounted on said head for reciprocatory movement transversely of said track across the path of a nail in said track extension and having a surface oblique to said track extension and engageable with a nail in said extension upon movement of said transfer element in one direction to feed a nail from said extension into said guide sections through said side opening, and a cam mounted on said head for movement withsaid transfer element and in operative driven connection with said plunger for effecting transfer-element movement in the other direction upon the driving stroke of said plunger, and resilient means urging said transfer element in said one direction of its reciprocation and operative upon the nondriving stroke of said plunger, whereby a nail is delivered by said transfer element into said guide sections upon the upward movement of said plunger and adapted to be impaled by the latter upon the downward movement thereof.

2. A nail-driving device according to claim 1, in combination with a fine feeder located contiguous to said one track end and engageable with the shanks of nails in said track for feeding nails to said transfer means.

3. A nail-driving device according to claim 2, said fine feeder comprising a finger mounted adjacent to said one track end for movement longitudinally of said track and movement laterally of said track into and out of the path of nail shank movement along said track, means resiliently urging said finger longitudinally of said track toward said one track end and laterally of said track into the path of nail shank movement for engagement with said nails to urge the latter toward said one track end into said transfer means, and an actuator operatively 'connectd to said finger and driver for releasing said finger to move said nails upon driver movement in one direction and returning said finger upon driver movement in the other direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 412,762 Lambert Oct. 15, 1889 969,934 Ballard Sept. 13, 1910 2,618,778 Granfield Nov. 25, 1952 2,783,468 Schwartz Mar. 5, 1957 

